Physical Therapist Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physical therapist assistants in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX is $73,020/year ($35.11/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.97), which stretches that salary to about $84,937 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,047/month, or 20.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $73K get you in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Brownsville-Harlingen’s Regional Price Parity (85.97). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About physical therapist assistants
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What this looks like in Brownsville-Harlingen
Physical therapist assistants pay in Brownsville-Harlingen tracks closely to the national median, $73K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 7% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,047/month, 21% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physical therapist assistants in metros near Brownsville-Harlingen, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $77K | $78K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $80K | $78K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $85K | $87K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $77K | $81K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Entry-level physical therapist assistants (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Physical Therapist Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physical Therapist Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $83K | +22% | 9,400 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +16% | 2,640 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +15% | 1,810 |
| Texas | $78K | +14% | 10,510 |
| Maryland | $78K | +14% | 1,430 |
| Alaska | $78K | +14% | 110 |
| Connecticut | $76K | +11% | 980 |
| Nevada | $76K | +10% | 560 |
| Delaware | $75K | +9% | 340 |
| Virginia | $74K | +8% | 3,370 |
| Oregon | $73K | +7% | 890 |
| Georgia | $73K | +6% | 2,620 |
| Florida | $73K | +6% | 9,870 |
| Vermont | $72K | +5% | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +4% | 500 |
| South Carolina | $71K | +3% | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $69K | +0% | 420 |
| North Carolina | $68K | -1% | 3,280 |
| Hawaii | $68K | -1% | 250 |
| Minnesota | $67K | -2% | 1,230 |
| Washington | $66K | -3% | 2,150 |
| Maine | $66K | -3% | 410 |
| Louisiana | $65K | -4% | 1,670 |
| Indiana | $65K | -5% | 2,830 |
| Illinois | $65K | -5% | 4,890 |
| Colorado | $65K | -5% | 1,350 |
| Arizona | $65K | -5% | 2,010 |
| Arkansas | $65K | -6% | 1,620 |
| Kansas | $65K | -6% | 1,300 |
| New York | $64K | -6% | 3,620 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -6% | 1,650 |
| Ohio | $64K | -7% | 7,040 |
| Missouri | $64K | -7% | 2,490 |
| Wyoming | $64K | -7% | 240 |
| North Dakota | $64K | -7% | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $63K | -7% | 40 |
| Montana | $63K | -8% | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -8% | 4,270 |
| Tennessee | $63K | -9% | 3,390 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -9% | 700 |
| Utah | $62K | -9% | 970 |
| Mississippi | $62K | -10% | 1,150 |
| Michigan | $62K | -10% | 4,520 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -10% | 2,580 |
| Alabama | $61K | -10% | 2,700 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -10% | 980 |
| Iowa | $61K | -11% | 1,060 |
| Idaho | $61K | -11% | 560 |
| West Virginia | $60K | -12% | 980 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -13% | 2,380 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -28% | 300 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track physical therapist assistants salary changes
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Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a physical therapist assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Yes — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 21% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,047/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapist assistants in Brownsville-Harlingen?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapist assistants typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,865/month. At HUD’s $1,047/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is physical therapist assistant a high-paying job in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $73K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Brownsville-Harlingen compare to the national average for physical therapist assistants?
Brownsville-Harlingen pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physical therapist assistants make in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
The median is $73,020 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,750, and experienced physical therapist assistants can clear $92,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in Brownsville-Harlingen?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,980/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,047/month, which eats 21% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a physical therapist assistants salary go in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Brownsville-Harlingen has a Regional Price Parity of 85.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physical therapist assistants salary is worth about $84,937 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physical therapist assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.